I must say, I can only think of one activity with the same emotional load attached to publicly posting something you have written for the first time, and hoping you get a positive response, and that's another terrifying first.
Closing your eyes for a moment, undressing and allowing a stranger to see you and all your accompanying baggage; putting yourself in a stranger's hands, and hoping your trust isn't misplaced; when it finally happens, you hope that you are at least physically comfortable (but usually aren't.) When it's finally over, usually you're not really sure why you're exhausted and stressed out, but still basking in the glory of the sensation. Sadly, after a while, it usually becomes common, except for the notable exceptions, both good and bad.
I'm talking, of course, about flying. [insert rim-shot here]
Anyway, hello to all you, my adoring public who was just waiting for me to submit the first chapter of my first story. I'm the individual known here as Dan Bayou, a pseudonym picked by my youngest sibling as she wanted me be 'down by you' after I moved away. I know, right? How much more awesome can this guy get than to have a horrible pun in his chosen name?
Please don't answer that.
My writings have been influenced by everything from Tolkien and Heinlein to Baen Authors like Wen Spencer and John Ringo, Self-published authors like P. S. Power, Laurence Dahners, Mackey Chandler, and ... well, I guess there's a lot of em. And that doesn't even mention the authors on SOL and FS! Japanese, Chinese, and Korean web novels have definitely influenced me as well. Hmm. At this point, it might be easier to list the things that haven't influenced me.
So, the story, well, series actually. I have three or four chapters of this particular one I'm editing, as well as a layout for the rest. There's also parts and snippets of at least a half dozen stories in this series spread across three drives and a box of spiral bound notebooks out in the garage of at least ten completed novel length stories that I'll get around to posting. This is to let you know that I'm not going to be a maybe one-and-done author.
I don't plan to have any kind of set schedule for writing, mainly because I don't have any kind of set schedule for anything else, and that's worked so far, and I don't need that kind of aggravation.
So, dear Reader, here's to you.
Please be kind with your comments and reviews.
Dan Bayou